Driving at night can be slightly fraught at the best of times without needing to worry about the headlights of other cars. Tesla, however, is having to recall over 20,000 of its cars due to overly bright low-beam headlights, in a saga that has run for three years.
In total, the EV manufacturer is having to recall 20,349 models produced between 2017 and 2023, per NHTSA campaign number 26V507000. This particular problem relates to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.
This sets out performance criteria for automotive lamps, reflective devices, and other equipment on American roads. Should a light, for example, emit too much light and be deemed unsafe, then that is enough for the NHTSA to issue a recall, as has been done here. The authority has deemed that increased glare from these cars could contribute to a major accident.
This, of course, isn’t the first Tesla recall in the past 12 months. The company has suffered a few, many of which have been due to the Tesla Cybertruck. Incredibly, this particular saga began three years ago, thanks to independent testing in a laboratory, and all of that has led up to this recent recall.
What Has Been Said About the Tesla Headlights?
According to official documentation, the headlights in question emit too much light “in the outer upper-left and upper-right areas of the 10U to 90U angular zone.” In short, there is excess upward glare coming from the low-beam headlights on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
As noted by the NHTSA, the excess upward glare will dramatically reduce visibility for oncoming drivers. That will increase the risk of a crash, and in the worst-case scenario, it could be fatal. For the Model 3, there have been 1,614 units recalled from the 2017 to the 2023 model years. The Model Y has suffered much worse, with 18,735 units recalled from February 2020 to December 2023. In total, Tesla is having to recall 20,349 affected EVs to fix the problem.
Mexico-based Marelli Automotive Lighting is the company behind the defective headlamp assemblies. Incredibly, this whole saga can trace its roots back to a study that an independent lab did three years ago, which is where the issue with the bright headlights was first highlighted. It is thanks to the work with Transport Canada that this lab was able to find out there could be a problem.
How the Glaring Issue With the Headlights Was Found
The independent lab conducted the work alongside Transport Canada. It took a left headlight from a 2019 Tesla Model 3 to give it a routine evaluation. This was nothing unusual and was purely for an annual compliance program. The specific lamp had been manufactured in October 2023, so it was a replacement for the one that came with the EV originally.
Transport Canada then had to notify Tesla that the headlamp had failed low-beam photometric tests. In short, it was far too bright. Tesla then opened a compliance investigation with Marelli in January 2024. In March 2024, after recognizing the issue, Elon Musk’s company decided that a recall was the best course of action.
Tesla Then Tried To Avoid the Recall
However, the company then tried to avoid a recall entirely. It petitioned the federal watchdog in April 2024, with an amendment made in May 2024. This claimed that the noncompliance was ‘inconsequential’ to the safety of the vehicles and the occupants. However, in July 2026, the NHTSA denied the petition, meaning Tesla would have to go through the recall after all. Thus, a three-year saga is almost at an end.